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(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet; 1"

H. W. UMNEY.

y HYDRAULIC HOISTING MACHINERY, m.

No. 527,908. Patented Oct. 23, 1894.

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4 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

H. W. UMNEY. HYDRAULIC HO'ISTING MACHINERY, &o.

Patented Oct. 23,1894.

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' H. W. UMNEY.

HYDRAULIC HO'ISTING MACHINERY, &c. No. 527,908. Patented Oct. 23,1894.

STATES 1 PATENT OFFIC HERBERT WILLIAMS UMNEY, LONDON, ENGLAND.

HYDRAULIC HOISTING MACHINERY, aw.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 527,908, dated October23, 1894.

Application filed June 6, 1893. Serial No. 476,783- (No modeL) To allwhom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HERBERT WILLIAMS UMNEY, civil engineer, a subject ofHer Majesty the Queen of Great Britain and Ireland,

rice or cluster of cylinders containing pistons or plungers for raisingand lowering the 'lift or load, only sufficient cylinders of such series or cluster to raise any particular weight being put intocommunication with the pressure water supply by means of a regulatingvalve or valves automatically adjusted so that its position isdetermined by the varying weight elevated.

Now in hydraulic lifting or hoisting ma chinery of the abovementionedclass or type as at present constructed, should a portion of the load beremoved after the lift has started and before it has completed itsascent there i is no provision for automatically causing the regulatingvalve or valves to lessen the power employed by automatically cuttingoff the supply of pressure water from such cylinder or cylinders as arenot required, and conse quently the power originally employed at thecommencement to raisethe heavier load will be continued with the lighterload thus causing considerable waste of water.

Now the chief object, of my invention is to remove this defect, and toprovide hydraulic lifting or hoisting machinery or apparatus of simpleand economical construction, wherein a single regulating valve not onlyautomatically increases the power as required by admitting pressurewater to extra main power cylinders but also automatically decreases thepower if necessary by shutting off any main power cylinders not requiredfrom the pressure water supply the moment the load is lightened. I'thusefiect great economy in the amount of water consumed.

My invention may be equally well applied lZO OElLGI hydraulic powerapparatus, wherein the maximum power is subdivided as above mentioned,such as to hydraulic presses and h the like, for example.

According to my invention I employ a single regulating valve whichcontrolsthe admission of pressure water to the whole series or clusterof lifting cylinders. The number of ports in this valve corresponds withthe number of systems or groups having independent water supplies intowhichthe whole series or cluster of main power cylinders is divided forproducing the different powers,

and the ports are so arranged that the forward movement of theregulating valve will successively bring the various powers intooperation commencing at the lowest power. The devices employed forproducing when required the automatic forward movement of the regulatingvalve (so that the position thereof is determined by the varying weightlifted or by the varying resistance to the stress of the main powercylinders) are so constructed and arranged that the forward stress theyexert upon the regulatingvalve will always increase or diminish as thestress H of the main power rams upon their crosshead increases ordiminishes. The said forward movement of the regulating valve is alwaysopposed by a resisting device, (such as a spring or weighted lever, forexample) which is so arranged as to yield or give under a stressslightly less than the maximum forward stress exerted on the regulatingvalve when anypower is operating, an amount sufticient to bring the nexthigher power into operation. In directacting lifts I efiect the saidautomatic forward movement of the regulating valve by means of a seriesor cluster of supplementary cylinders containing pistons or plungers,which are all connected with the spindle of the regulating valve andwhich correspond in number with the main power cylinders and aresimilarly connected together'or grouped. The admission of pressure waterto these supplementary cylinders is also controlled by the regulatingvalve, so that when pressure water is admittedto any main power cylinderor cylinders it is at the same time admitted to the correspondingsupplementary cylinder or cylinders. The exhaust of both the main powercylinders and the supplementary cylinders takes place throughindependent exhaust pipes and is so controlled by a separate valve(preferably the main or starting valve) that when any main powercylinder or cylinders exhaust the corresponding supplementary cylinderor cylinders exhaust also. The low pressure water supply from the tankalso admits low pressure water to corresponding main power cylinders andsupplementary cylinders at the same time. From the above it will be seenthat the stress exerted by the supplementary rams upon the regulatingvalve spindle will vary according as the stress of the main power ramsupon their crosshead varies and that the position of the regulatingvalve will consequently be determined by the varying weight of the loador by the varying resistance to the stress of the main power rams. Theareas of the supplementary rams must be proportionate to the amount oftravel they are required to impart to the regulating valve for producingany power.

In those cases where the stress of the main power rams is exerted upon ahoisting rope as in suspended lifts or cranes for example I may dispensewith the supplementary cylinders and eifect the automatic forwardmovement of the regulating valve by the stress of the hoisting ropewhich I connect therewith. It is clear that in this as in the previouslydescribed arrangement the stress automatically exerted upon theregulating valve will increase or diminish as the stress of the mainpower rams upon the hoisting rope increases or diminishes and that theposition of the regulating valve will be consequently determined by thevarying weight of the load or by the varying resistance to the stress ofthe main power rams.

I will now proceed to more fully describe my invention and the manner ofperforming the same having reference to the accompanying drawings inwhich similar letters refer to corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure l is a diagrammatic view representing in side elevation a fivepower direct acting lift of the class or type set forth constructed inaccordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical sectionof a main or starting slide valve constructed according to my invention.Fig. 3 is a plan of the valve face of the above mentioned valve showingthe arrangement of the parts. Fig. 4 is a plan of the valve face of theregulating valve. Fig. 5 is a plan of the regulating slide valve. Fig. 6illustrates the method of obtaining the automatic forward movement ofthe slide valve which I may employ in the case of suspended hydrauliclifts or cranes. Fig. 7 shows the application of a suspended weightedlever as the resisting device to the forward movement of the regulatingvalve.

Fig. 8, is a detail sectional view of the starter valve with the variouspipe connections, and Fig. 9, is a similar view of the regulating valve.

A A are the main power cylinders for raising and lowering the load. Theyare five in number, placed in a row, and their pistons or plungers areconnected with the crosshead a.

B is the main or starting valve.

0 is the regulating valve, and D represents the supplementary cylinderswhich correspond in number with the main power cylinders A. The centercylinder A is in no way connected as regards its pressure water supplywith any of the remaining cylinders of the series or cluster which areconnected by pipes in pairs, the two extreme outside cylinders and thecylinders adjacent to the center cylinder being respectively connectedtogether by branch pipes as clearly shown in the drawings, thus makingthree systems or groups having each an independent pressure water supplyfor producing the various powers. The supplementary cylinders D areconnected together or grouped similarly to the cylinders A as is alsoclearly shown in the drawings.

The admission of pressure water to all the main power cylinders A and tothe supplementary cylinders D is controlled by and takes place throughthe regulating valve 0 which in this case would have three ports I) c d(see Fig. 4) one port for each of the three systems or groups ofcylinders, viz., the two pairs, and the single cylinder, to whichpressure water may be admitted independently. The port I) admits waterto the center cylinder A and corresponding supplementary cylinder Donly, through the pipe I), the port 0 admits water to the outer pair ofcylinders A and corresponding pair of supplementary cylinders D throughthe pipe 0', and the port (1 admits water to the inner pair of cylindersA and corresponding pair of cylinders D by the pipe 01'. The slide valveand ports of the regulating valve 0 are so arranged as shown in thedrawings as that when the valve is moved forward (in the directionindicated by the arrow, Fig. 4.) by the ram or rams D from its normalposition (11. e., with the port I) only open) it will first close portI) and open port d, then without closing port (1 reopen port 19, thenclose port b again and open port 0, cl and 0 being thus opensimultaneously and finally reopen port b, all three ports being thenopen simultaneously. In every case as is well known one port must openjust a moment before another closes. Five difierent powers will thus beproduced, the first and lowest power admitting pressure water to thecenter cylinder A only, the second power admitting pressure water to theinner pair of cylinders A, the third power admitting pressure water tothe center cylinder and inner pair of cylinders, the fourth poweradmitting pressure water to both pairs of cylinders A, and the fifth andhighest power admitting pressure water to the whole series or cluster ofcylinders, the corresponding ram or rams D beingin every case operatedat the same time.

' the maximum stress exerted by the ram or rams D on the regulatingvalve when any power is in operation, an amount sufficient to bring thenext higher power into action.

' 1, 2, 3, in dotted lines Fig. 1.

should be of such capacity as to hold always Low pressure water issupplied to the cylinders A and cylinders D from the tank F by.

the pipes cf 9 which are fitted with the usual retaining or nonreturnvalves as indicated at The tank F sufficient water to fill the four mainpower cylinders A and corresponding rams D when only one is working, andwould be fitted with an overflow pipe to the meter which indicates theamount of water consumed.

As in apparatus constructed according to my invention the regulatingvalve ports are not in many cases all open when the lift or loaddescends. The exhaust water from the rams can not return by the supplypipes through the regulating valve. I therefore convey the exhaust waterdirect to the main or starting valve 13 bythe independent exhaust pipesh 11 70 shown in the drawings as connected with the low pressure supplypipes g, f, e, and I will now proceed to describe the construction andarrangement of main or starting valve B employed.

The arrangement of the ports will be clearly seen in Fig. 3. Z is theport through which thepressure water passes to the regulating valve 0 bythe pipe Z. h i 70 are three ports,

(one for each system or group into which the five cylinders are dividedas before mentioned) through which the exhaust water passes to the tankF by the port m and pipe stopping lever.

When the apparatus is not in action the exhaust ports h i k in valve Bwill be closed as also the port Z which leads to the regulating valve 0.When the valve B is moved in the direction to start the apparatus bymeans of the lever 0 the port Z to the regulating valve will be openedand all the other exhaust portsclosed. Pressure water then passes by thepipe Z to the valve 0 (which is in its normal position, viz., with portb only open as shown by the dotted lines in Fig. 4), and from thencethrough port I) and pipes 12' to I the center cylinder A and centercylinder D only thus bringing the lowest power into operation. Shouldthis power however be unequal to raise the load the said centersupplementary ram D just before its stress on the valve 0 reaches itsmaximum will overcome the resistance of the spring E and compress thesame su fticiently to bring the regulating valve into the properposition for causing the next higher power to act, that is to say inthis case into such a position as to close port b and open port 01 thusadmitting pressure water to the inner pairs of cylinders A and cylindersD by the pipes 01. Should this power be still insufficient to raise theload, the said pair of rams D just before their maximum stress on thevalve 0 is reached will overcome the resistance of the spring E andcompress the same still further a sufficient amount to move theregulating valve forward again into the proper position for bringing thenext power into operation, that is to say into such a position as toreopen port I) thus admitting pressure water to. the central cylinderand adjacent pair of cylindersA and corresponding cylinders D, and soon, the same cycle of operations being repeated until a power justsufficient to raise the load, or until the maximum power is reached.Should however the weight of the load be decreased whenpartiallyelevated, then the spring E will automatically force back thevalve 0 against the reduced pressure of the operating ram or rams Duntil the forward stress on the valve 0 is greater than the resistanceof the spring E, thus automatically reducing the power to that requiredand avoiding waste of pressure water.

When the starting valve B is moved in the direction to permit the liftto descend, the port I therein will be closed and the exhaust ports h 2'la and m opened thus permitting the exhaust water from all the cylindersA and cylinders D to pass away to thetank F.

In Fig. 6 which as before mentioned illustrates the method of obtainingthe automatic forward movement of the regulating valve I prefer toemploy in the case of suspended hydraulic lifts or cranes, G is thehoisting chain or rope, one end of which is here shown as directlyconnected with one end of the regulating valve spindle, but it isobviousthat in some cases it might be more convenient to connect the rope G andvalve 0 through the intervention of levers, or levers and links, and thelike. It is clear that in this as in the previously describedarrangement the stress automatically exerted by the hoisting rope G uponthe regulating valve will increase or diminish as the stress of the mainpower rams A upon the rope G increases or diminishes, and that theposition of the valve 0 will consequently be determined by the varyingweight of the load or by the varying resistance to the stress of themain power rams. The spring E acts in precisely the same manner asdescribed with reference to Fig. 1 except that it is compressed by apull instead of a thrust.

In Fig. 7 which shows the application of a suspended weighted lever as-aresisting device to the forward movement of the valve 0, E is the leversuspended from the pivotp and q is the weight. As before explained indescribing the conditions of the resisting device the length and weightof lever E must be so arranged that it will swing back on its pivotunder a stress slightly less than the maximum forward stress upon thevalve 0 when any power is in operation sufficiently to allow the nexthigher power to be brought.

into action.

By obvious modifications my invention may be applied to all hydraulicpower machines of the class or type set forth (2'. 6. wherein themaximum power is subdivided into lesser graduated powers). For exampleit may be applied to hydraulic presses and the like whether workingvertically, horizontally or at an angle, and the apparatus illustratedin Fig. 1 may be considered to be a hydraulic press instead of a lift ifdesired. I do not therefore confine or limit myself to the precisedetails of construction and arrangement hereinbefore described andillustrated in the drawings, as the same might clearly be somewhatmodified without in any way departing from the spirit of my invention asset forth.

In conclusion I would observe that I am aware that a single regulatingvalve for controlling the supply of pressure water to all themain powercylinders has been employed, but such regulating valve was howeverusually operated by a constant unvarying pressure and in those caseswhere a single regulating valve with varying pressure was employed theapparatus could only be used with two difierent powers. I amalso awarethat a series or group of supplementary cylinders, each ram of theseries or group being connected with a separate independent regulatingvalve which it operated against the resistance of a separate independentspring has been proposed.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates, is

1. In a hydraulic power apparatus and in combination, a main or startingvalve, asingle regulating valve, a pressure supply pipe leading directfrom the starting valve to the regulating valve to cause all of thepressure water to pass through the said regulating valve, a series orcluster of main power cylinders, pipes extending from the singleregulating valve to said cluster of cylinders the exhaust passageentirely independent of the regulating valve and constituting the onlyescape for the exhaust water, the series of exhaust pipes extending fromthe cluster of cylinders to the independent exhaust, the said singleregulating valve and the single exhaust passage being common to all thecylinders of the cluster and being connected thereto by the said clusteror series of pipes and the means for regulating the position of theregulating valve to control the distribution to the various cylinders ofthe group, substantially as described.

2. In combination in a hydraulic power apparatus, a series of main powercylinders, a main or starting valve the single regulating valve 0controlling the water pressure therein, the series or cluster ofsupplemental cylinders D, the supply pipes therefor also controlled bythe said single valve, the connection between the supplemental pistonsand the single regulating valve for controlling the same, the exhaustpipes in connection with both the main and supplemental cluster ofcylinders and the exhaust passage with which said exhaust pipes connectsaid exhaust passage being entirely independent of the regulating valvesubstantially as described.

3. In a hydraulic power apparatus the combination of a cluster of mainpower cylinders A, a single regulating valve 0 controlling the supply ofpressure water thereto, the cluster of supplemental cylinders D havingtheir pistons connected with the stem of the single valve 0 the supplypipes for the supplemental cylinders communicating with the pressuresupply between the regulating valve and the main cylinders and theresisting means acting on the stem of valve 0 in opposition to thepressure in the cylinder D, the said regulating valve also controllingthe pressure water supply in the supplemental cylinders, substantiallyas described.

4. In combination in a hydraulic power apparatus, a series or cluster ofmain power cylinders A, the single regulating valve 0 controlling thewater pressure therein, the cluster of supplemental cylinders D thesupply pipes for the supplemental cylinders com municating with thepressure supply between the valve 0 and the main cylinders, said cluster of supplemental cylinders having their pistons connected with thestem of the regulating valve, the resisting means for placing the valveunder tension in opposition to the pressure in the cluster ofsupplemental cylinders, the starting valve having connection with theregulating valve, and the exhaust pipes from the cluster of cylindersleading to exhaust ports in the starting valve independent of theregulating valve 0, substantially as described.

5. In combination in a hydraulic powerapparatus, the cluster of mainpower cylinders A comprising the central cylinder, the cylinders aboutthe same connected together in pairs of which pairs one member is on oneside of the central cylinder and the other member is on the oppositeside the single regulating valve 0 for controlling the pressure in thecylinders, the means for placinga resistance on said valve the clusterof supplemental cylders comprising a central one and a series arrangedon each side of the same and con- IIO nected up in pairs to correspondto the main power cylinders, said supplemental cylinders having theirpistons connected with the single regulating valve, and the pipeconnections between the regulating valve and the main and supplementalcylinders, substan- 'tially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification, in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses, this 25th day of 10 May, A. D.1893.

HERBERT WILLIAMS UMNEY. Witnesses:

A. E. ALEXANDER, Chartered Patent Agent, 19 Southampton Bdge London, WO.

J. BURGESS,

Clerk to above.

